Chapter 214, Showing Weakness?

Translator: Tamon

 

Wang Qi was focused, ready to start another round of calculations.

 

Calculations, calculations, calculations…

 

That was all he had been doing for the past month: endless and inexhaustible calculations.

 

True disciple status equaled extended reading privileges as well as exchange discounts. Having lost his chance at cultivating five years in a sect, the status was just that much more important to Wang Qi. There could be only winning in this trial, a complete and crushing victory to prove himself.

 

To talented people, that one percent inspiration might just be more important than the other ninety-nine percent perspiration. Although, without the perspiration, a talent couldn’t make a damn use of that tiny, yet equally crucial, inspiration.

 

Final touches required one to have the initial work to have any effect.

 

To shore up his strength, Wang Qi had gone about turning his theory into power all this past month. There was no research or theory work done whatsoever.

 

As for training his strength, that couldn’t be simpler. He had to fight.

 

Wang Qi’s main activity was fighting with Su Junyu and Ai Dinglan.

 

Su Junyu, in his capacity as a Myriad Arts Sect true disciple that cultivated a similar mental art as Wang Qi, led to them having a similar fighting style as well. They were so alike that Wang Qi felt the fights were more like debates or expounding problems. Every kick or punch drew upon calculations rather than an art of some kind. It was more apt to say he was solving problems.

 

Every fight had Wang Qi on a high, that of solving some big problems—honest to Dao, bro. For this bookworm, solving problems had paramount importance. Each one solved upped his familiarity with the topic that much more while also strengthening his understanding of the underlying mathematical theories.

 

Fights with Ai Dinglan were a different ball game.

 

Heavenly Spirit Range’s magical arts were more like innate skills, or bloodline traits, with a certain chance of passing them on to descendants. They were far more inflexible than any other sect. Thus, they took another approach.

 

Power over skill.

 

Ai Dinglan’s assets had developed well, though still within the range of a young girl and completely incompatible with terms like human dinosaur. That didn’t bring much comfort though, not when her slightest move would send Wang Qi flying. Zhen Chanzi gasped in fright, remarking, “Only young dragons, and few, if any, demons focused on strength can beat her.”

 

Ai Dinglan’s style was just that raw, savage, and crude. She loved smashing her punches through Wang Qi’s defenses or forcing Wang Qi to keep on his toes by flinging an occasional vine.

 

The first few times Wang Qi had no chance of blocking her, kissing pavement in three moves tops and ending up hurt. Ai Dinglan made use of her exquisite medical skills to rebuild him to top form only to break him again.

 

To say it was torture was putting it lightly. But Wang Qi had to admit that this was the training he lacked. Su Junyu couldn’t have helped in this. Experience against a tougher opponent could only be gained through battle.

 

Su Junyu used calculations to dissect the opponent’s style, then drawing the right card needed to win from his magic deck of sealed magic arts. His magical art training was quite average. He had little use in situations where Wang Qi needed to feel real pressure from raw power.

 

Thanks to these elite Immortal Alliance disciples, Wang Qi’s progress soared.

 

Wang Qi was close to finishing his calculations, making his heart skip in anticipation. As he relaxed, his environment experienced a change. The thicket exploded in hundreds of vines, all rushing to get him.

 

Ai Dinglan was no Radiant Divinity Pavilion disciple, but she had a knack for sensing her opponent’s mood. Every time Wang Qi had some inspiration as they fought, she’d give Wang Qi the time to sort through it and do the math. But when he finished, she’d rain hell on him at his most relaxed moment.

 

“Come on!” With the sword art insight at hand, Wang Qi was eager to test it out.

 

Sword energy exploded.

 

Against this onslaught, Wang Qi kept using the same move—White Marsh Array Breaker.

 

The way he moved and angled every one of the strikes, or how he connected them, made it look like it was a complete sword art at play, yet it all came from just one single move!

 

After a few ingenious adjustments, the original mighty move turned into an ingenious and complete defensive skill.

 

Sword Mountain unleashed a gale as it linked with the earth, blocking Ai Dinglan’s attack. The fight lasted a while longer, with the vines letting up only as Wang Qi’s energy waned.

 

Ai Dinglan was clear on Wang Qi’s limits.

 

Wang Qi breathed, about to pose his awesomeness, when Ai Changyuan praised, “Nice variations! The skill is perfect, just a step away from one art beating all.”

 

Wang Qi scratched his head at his appearance. “What are you doing here?”

 

“That thirty-five-something told me.”

 

“Oh, Shiqin… wait, what I meant was, why are you on Argent Mountain?” Wang Qi asked, “Shouldn’t you be at Langde?”

 

Ai Changyuan was a bit odd. “To join the joint trial.”

 

“Joint trial… it’s the 6th of June already?” Wang Qi recalled the date, looking a bit sad. “Why are you looking for me?”

 

Ai Changyuan sized him up. “Nothing much, just that I heard you were having it rough of late. To be honest, the martial examination is a monumental bore with no real and fun opponent to speak of.”

 

Wang Qi said casually, “Getting smeared in the face by crap is gross, but it’s not like it’s going to kill you, right?”

 

“Ha-ha, that’s great!” Ai Changyuan left full of relief.

 

Wang Qi turned to Bernoulli Xiaoya. “Miss, it doesn’t look like you’re with that guy. Why are you here?”

 

Bernoulli Xiaoya gave him a complicated look. Wang Qi’s sword art might look a bit fast or mysterious to someone else, but to mathematicians, the variations were ingenious to high heaven. She had been born in a modern clan, her sights set high from her childhood, but even she wasn’t confident she could pull off the same move.

 

Then there was the casual way of saying ‘getting smeared on the face with crap’…

 

[That’s why Ai Changyuan likes him so much!]

 

She bit her lip. “I’m Bernoulli Xiaoya. Perhaps you heard of me.”

 

Wang Qi raised an eyebrow. “So you’re the Bernoulli family’s disciple this year.”

 

Bernoulli Xiaoya stared right at him. “I hope to become Myriad Arts Sect’s true disciple. You should understand what it means.”

 

“I can; the Bernoulli family is a natural with calculations.”

 

“We are each the best freshman from Argent Apex and Leyan, respectively. Fighting is inevitable. I am not fully confident I can beat you.” Bernoulli Xiaoya said, “When the time comes, will you give me some leeway?”